


Too Much at Stake

by 95liners



Category: Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Character Death, Graphic-ish, Historical References, M/M, Violence, based off a lil prose I wrote, fall of goguryeo, pls dont hate me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-13
Updated: 2017-08-13
Packaged: 2018-12-14 19:38:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11790054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/95liners/pseuds/95liners
Summary: There's too much at stake for General Jinyoung to lose now.





	Too Much at Stake

**Author's Note:**

> hello!
> 
> this is based off some prose I cranked out at, like, 10pm last night. I didn't expect I'd turn it into a fic, but there I was writing some homework and reading over my poem and I went, "hey, this would be great with my love for historical WannaOne"
> 
> and boom.
> 
> NOTES; there is blood and death in this. the fighting is not too graphic, but it does mention how people die.
> 
> and Major Character Death is a tag for a reason, okay.
> 
> also sorry if anything is inaccurate!

You say you’ve felt pain – you say you’ve felt the utter crash of the world on your chest, choking the very life from you.

 

_“They’re coming from every side, sir. It’s a complete massacre … the only reason they haven’t stormed the main city yet is because the dead keep piling up. Like a wall-“_

_Jinyoung cut off the soldier in front of him, bloody hands shaking around his helmet. Park Jihoon, only nineteen – he was so young, so fresh and happy when he first joined the army six months earlier. He’d made fast friends with his fellow soldiers – “we’re all family now! Fighting to keep everyone safe!” – and was a breath of fresh air in an otherwise tense situation._

_Now, he was a major general and reporting to someone one year younger than him because everyone else who was experienced for the role were dead._

_Jinyoung looked down at the map in front of him, laid out on the table. It showed all the villages that surrounded the main city of Goguryeo, and the rivers and routes and anywhere and everywhere the forces could storm in and ambush them. He studied the markings for a few minutes, gaze flitting over all the names and lines he’d fought to memorise in three weeks when he was promoted to the leading official._

_“Have they taken here?” Jinyoung indicated to a village situated along a small river, only a three-day ride from the city. Jihoon shook his head before pointing to a spot near there._

_“When I last left the group, they were a week from here.” Jinyoung sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face, before moving from behind the table and over to Jihoon. He took in the elder’s state – Jihoon was covered in dried blood, and his long hair was matted and pulled from the band that held it in place. Judging by his disarray, Jinyoung assumed he must’ve ridden the entire way, only stopping when it was necessary. Jihoon’s hands hadn’t stopped shaking, not even when Jinyoung closed his smaller ones around them._

_“Come on – they’re not going to take here. We have too much to lose, we’re not letting them take the city.” When Jihoon wouldn’t meet Jinyoung’s eyes, he grasped the other’s chin and yanked it up. His eyes bore straight into Park Jihoon’s, the fires of determination laced into every word Jinyoung said._

_  
“We have too much to lose.”_

* * *

 

 

You say you’ve felt betrayal – you say you’ve felt the clammy grasp around your throat, when someone you loved is staring you down the sharpened blade of a sword.

 

_The clash of iron on iron rang through Jinyoung’s ears, swinging his sword in a large arc before bringing it down on someone’s shoulder. A loud cry pierced the cacophony, and Jinyoung stepped over the dead body of his opponent before running towards the next. Ong Seongwoo, another major general, found his place besides Jinyoung and lifted his sword to deflect an incoming blow._

_“Sir – you have to get back to the city. Warn everyone,” he gasped out between swipes, slicing open another man and immediately jumping back into action. Jinyoung didn’t respond – couldn’t respond, as he slid his sword through the cracks in his enemy’s armour and felt the blade pierce skin like knife in butter._

_“I will stay to fight with you, Seongwoo,” Jinyoung responded after a minute, when he and Seongwoo had briefly ridded their area of fighting. He could still hear the clashing further down the hill, and briefly noticed as a man – oh God, one of his – was struck down by a warrior. Despite the blood coating the pale skin, or the long hair matted and chopped, Jinyoung noted - in a moment of irony – Park Jihoon had died with his trademark grin on his face._

_“No, Jinyoung – you must get back. We have too much to lose.” Seongwoo grasped Jinyoung’s arms, turning him to meet his eyes. There was wild desperation in the browns of his eyes, mixed in with fear and adrenaline. Jinyoung had never seen such a manic look come over Seongwoo before._

_But, they were at war, and war changed men._

_Jinyoung was so caught up in Seongwoo’s demeanour, he didn’t notice the man behind him. He didn’t notice the blade slide through Seongwoo’s stomach, either. But he did notice how his face slackened, and how his frame crumpled and fell at Jinyoung’s feet._

_And Jinyoung noticed how his own stomach dropped, and how his hands immediately found his blade to counteract the blade of Kang Daniel, the traitor. Kang Daniel, who’d laughed with Jinyoung and with Seongwoo, who’d wiped tears from Jihoon’s cheeks, who’d mourned the passing of their previous general Yoon Jisung, and who’d turned on them amid a campaign when they were being overrun._

_Lastly, Jinyoung noticed how his sword fit perfectly in Daniel’s throat, and how Daniel died with a look of utter peace across his face._

* * *

You say you’ve felt anger – you say you’ve felt the searing roars of a dragon in the pit of your stomach, fighting to break free and lay waste to all who have wronged you.

 

_Jinyoung slammed his hands on the table, boring holes into the men who stood before him. Officials of Goguryeo’s capital stood in front of him, daring to defy him._

_“We will not move. We will stay here, and protect our fortunes. You will fight, and die, so we will live.”_

_Jinyoung did not ride nonstop for a week to be met with rejection. He did not watch a traitor – a traitor who he still mourns – bleed out onto his best friend. He did not watch his soldiers die in horrible ways, for the pampered citizens of the capital to go against his orders._

_Jinyoung did not come this far to lose, when they have too much at stake._

_“Let me talk to him.” At his words, everyone’s eyes landed back on Jinyoung, now standing straight and watching everyone with a cold gaze._

_“Let me speak to the King.”_

_One of the officials – Youngshil, Jinyoung vaguely remembers as his name – reached out to grab Jinyoung’s robes as he passed. Flashes of screaming, carnage and blood raced through Jinyoung’s head, and a few seconds later found Youngshil pressed against the table and Jinyoung breathing heavily._

_“Y-You can’t … can’t see His Majesty,” the older male gasped out, but Jinyoung didn’t care. He had to go see him, when the world was ending, and when he could be snatched away from his kingdom and people._

_“I’m going no matter what. Send a messenger, tell him to expect me.” Jinyoung let go of Youngshil then, pushing on through the crowd until he was outside. He gripped the hilt of his sword, willing the shakiness away, before continuing to make his way to the palace._

_He’d come too far to see it all go to waste now – Jinyoung refused to let the efforts of his men – of his friends – go to waste. If he had to singlehandedly slaughter all those who threatened his King, then Jinyoung would fight and fight until he could fight no more, and then he would buck up and keep on fighting._

_Jinyoung had too much to lose – and he refused to lose his King._

* * *

 

You say you’ve felt sorrow – you say you’ve felt the twisting of your heart, when blood keeps coating and coating your hands and they’re crying and begging _please please oh god it hurts oh god i love you i love you so muc-_

Jinyoung still believes it to be unfair – out of everyone who died, he lives on. He should’ve been the one who died that night, when soldiers swarmed the capital. When soldiers stole lives from innocent families, lives from corrupt officials and lives from unassuming children.

 

He should’ve been the one who died that night, when soldiers stormed the palace. When soldiers killed the servants, and stole the priceless jewellery and artefacts.

 

And Jinyoung definitely should’ve been the one who died that night, when soldiers killed the royal family. When a knife was taken to the Queen’s throat, and when the young ward - Park Woojin - was thrown out of the palace, only to be taken and killed by another soldier. When Jinyoung was too late to save the King, and had to watch iron pierce the expensive cloth that the King – that _Daehwi_ – wore, that Daehwi had always worn, ever since he and Jinyoung were kids. Ever since Jinyoung was sixteen and Daehwi fifteen, and he would sneak into the young Prince’s room, and they’d giggle and kiss and kiss and giggle until it was the witching hour, and Jinyoung would sneak back into his room where all the other young, rich kids that dreamed to be soldiers would be.

 

He had always dreamed to be a glorious soldier, leading the men to protect their home from people who wanted to hurt them. He wanted to grow stronger, so he could protect the capital, and protect the King.

 

His King.

 

But now, Jinyoung noted bitterly, it all ended with Daehwi’s bloody fingers scrabbling at Jinyoung’s robes, with a dead body only meters away from them. It all ended with Daehwi gasping out apologies and _i love you’s_ until he could speak no more.

 

And it all ended with Jinyoung’s tears, and a shaky kiss pressed to the young King’s forehead.

**Author's Note:**

> goodbye please drop a review and don't hate me too much because this story also makes me cry.
> 
> also it makes u sadder when u realise daehwi was only 17 and jinyoung 18 when this happened


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